I wasn't sure how ENDLESS KNIGHT could compete with the all encompassing action of POISON PRINCESS, so it was no surprise to see a structure and focus that is wholly new for the series. ENDLESS KNIGHT doesn't have the slowly unfolding horror of it's predecessor, but rather, danger after danger interwoven with the strategy necessary to survive the Arcana. Evie unflinchingly faces the legacy of her card, The Empress, without surrendering agency or control of her current choices.

But while her politics grow ever more impressive, on the romance side Evie is undeniably a seventeen-year-old girl. Her lovelife is red hot, well intentioned, and ultimately the angst-ridden mess you'd expect from a teenager struggling under a cosmic burden. Jackson wasn't as alluring as I remembered him, as his moods, his drinking, and his like-a-sore-thumb Cajun accent made him hard to fall back in love with. This works for the story, however, as Evie is growing beyond the vulnerable schoolgirl he once took under his protection. Powerful and haunted, Evie may wish for her normal, human life to return, but she shoulders the responsibility of her power beautifully.

The Arcana Chronicles incorporates so many of the dynamics I loved in The Hunger Games. Evie must master her own abilities without losing her humanity, or becoming subject to someone else's agenda, and the magic and the danger are just icing on the cake of an already satisfying battle for Evie's identity and future. I'm not only hooked on the game itself, but I can't wait to see what Evie grows in to.